Resident Rounds. Part I: Program Spotlight: Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Department of Dermatology

November 2012 | Volume 11 | Issue 11 | Features | 1356 | Copyright © November 2012


Abstract

Resident Rounds is a section of the JDD dedicated to highlighting various dermatology departments with residency training programs. Resident Rounds includes three sections: (1) a program spotlight, highlighting pertinent information about the department and residency training program; (2) a section presenting study materials used by residents at the program; and (3) a section designed to highlight recent interesting cases seen at the institution. This issue of Resident Rounds features the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Department of Dermatology. The editor of Resident Rounds is Omar A. Ibrahimi MD PhD. He is currently the Director of Cutaneous Laser and Cosmetic Surgery and a Mohs surgeon at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Ibrahimi is also a Visiting Scientist at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. If you are interested in highlighting your training program in a future issue, please contact Dr. Ibrahimi at OIbrahimi@jddonline.com.

The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) Department of Dermatology furnishes trainees with the educational and practical experience necessary to provide superior care of patients. Training is provided primarily at 3 facilities: the VCUHS Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Hospitals and associated clinics, the VCUHS Stony Point Clinic, and the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
At the VCUHS MCV Hospitals and clinics, residents participate in a continuity clinic over the 3 years of residency and a weekly pediatric dermatology clinic staffed by a faculty member who is board certified in dermatology, pediatrics, and pediatric dermatology. At the Stony Point location, residents rotate in specialty clinics, including the largest regional collection of mycosis fungoides patients and a complex medical dermatology clinic focusing on patients requiring systemic therapy. This location also features laser surgery and Mohs micrographic surgery for third-year residents. The VAMC offers an excellent complement to this training, with clinics focusing on the evaluation and management of many common skin conditions, including cutaneous tumors. Supervised by faculty, including a Mohs surgeon, first- and second-year residents at the VAMC perform procedures such as electrodessication and curettage, as well as facial surgery, flaps, and grafts.
In addition to these experiences, residents also provide in-patient consultation, mostly during their third year of residency. Residents are exposed to a fascinating range of dermatologic conditions with consultations requested by pediatrics, oncology, bone marrow transplantation, hepatology, rheumatology, and other subspecialties. With faculty supervision, residents address the dermatologic needs of acutely ill patients and function as part of a team to manage complex hospitalized patients.
While most of the residents' time is spent in the clinical practice, residents also participate in scholarly and educational activities. Residents present at local and regional conferences, including the VCU/EVMS (Eastern Virginia Medical School) Combined
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Conference, the Southeastern Consortium for Dermatology, and national conferences such as the American Academy of Dermatology Gross & Microscopic Dermatology Symposium. Residents are supported in scholarly activity within the department and outside the department, if desired. Furthermore, the department provides lecture curricula in medical and surgical dermatology, dermatopathology, and basic science, prepared by both residents and faculty.
The pairing of outstanding clinical experiences with the supervision, support, and mentorship of faculty provides residents at the VCUHS Department of Dermatology with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the field of dermatology.

Disclosures

The authors have disclosed no relevant conflicts of interest.

AUTHOR CORRESPONDENCE

Sheila M. Krishna MDsmkrishna@mcvh-vcu.edu